Football should follow basketball's lead

Recruiting the reason for Big Ten's gridiron woes

1:20 AM,
May 14, 2013

Written by

Tom Oates
Wisconsin State Journal

An abysmal showing in April's NFL draft only was the most recent sign that Big Ten football is losing its grip on relevancy.

After a 2012 season in which critics turned the conference into a national punching bag, the Big Ten gave its detractors more ammunition when it almost was a non-factor in the draft.

Big Ten teams had a mere 22 players drafted compared to 63 by the SEC. Two other conferences - the ACC and Pac-12 - had more players taken as well. And if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones understood how to work a draft board, not a single Big Ten player would have gone in the first round. ...